The Crucifixion of Jesus

²¹ They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.²²Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull).²³And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it.²⁴And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. ²⁵ It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.²⁶The inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’²⁷And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. ²⁹Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days,³⁰save yourself, and come down from the cross!’³¹In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself.³²Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.’ Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

The Death of Jesus

³³ When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.³⁴At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ ³⁵When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’³⁶And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’³⁷Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.³⁸And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.³⁹Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’

Psalm 139

The Inescapable God

To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.¹ O ^Lord, you have searched me and known me.² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;   you discern my thoughts from far away.³ You search out my path and my lying down,   and are acquainted with all my ways.⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue,   O ^Lord, you know it completely.⁵ You hem me in, behind and before,   and lay your hand upon me.⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;   it is so high that I cannot attain it. ⁷ Where can I go from your spirit?   Or where can I flee from your presence?⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there;   if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.⁹ If I take the wings of the morning   and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me,   and your right hand shall hold me fast.¹¹ If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,   and the light around me become night’,¹² even the darkness is not dark to you;   the night is as bright as the day,   for darkness is as light to you.